Voting is a critical exercise of citizenship in a democracy. Measures of the voting behavior of young adults may be seen as indicators of the level of youth commitment to the democratic process.

Rates of reported voter registration and voting among 18- through 24-year-olds during presidential election years declined between 1972 and 1976 and have stayed rather flat through 1996 (see Table SD 1.4.A). In 1972, 59 percent of young adults ages 18 through 24 reported that they had registered to vote, and 50 percent reported that they had voted. By 1996, 46 percent reported that they had registered, and 31 percent reported that they had voted (see Figure SD 1.4.A).

Differences by Gender. Reported rates of voter registration and voting are modestly higher among women both over time and within racial and ethnic groups, particularly during presidential election years; for example, in 1996, 51 percent of females and 47 percent of males ages 18 through 24 reported that they had registered to vote (see Table SD 1.4.A).

Differences by Race and Hispanic Origin. Hispanic young adults are the least likely to report that they register and vote. In 1996, 28 percent of Hispanic young adults reported that they had registered, and 15 percent reported that they had voted. Comparable numbers for blacks are 49 percent registered and 32 percent voted. Whites were the most likely to report that they had registered (50 percent) and voted (32 percent) in 1996 (see Figure SD 1.4.B). Since 1972, the percentage of Hispanic young adults who reported that they had voted in presidential election years has declined by almost one-half, from 31 percent to 15 percent (see Table SD 1.4.A).

Differences by Electoral Cycle. The percentage of young adults who reported that they had voted in nonpresidential election years since 1974 is substantially lower than the percentage who reported that they had voted during presidential election years (see Table SD 1.4.B). Rates of reported registration and voting have been remarkably stable during such years, across nonpresidential election years, with overall rates varying by only a few percentage points across the years.

Table SD 1.4. A Percentage of persons ages 18 through 24 in the United States who reported that they had registered to vote and percentage who reported that they had voted in presidential election years, by race and Hispanic origin and by gender: Selected years, 1972-1996

1972

1976

1980

1984

1988

1992

1996

Percentage who reported registering

All races a

Total

59

51

49

51

48

53

49

Male

58

51

48

50

46

50

47

Female

59

52

50

53

51

54

51

White

Total

61

54

51

52

49

75

50

Male

60

53

50

51

46

53

48

Female

61

54

52

53

51

57

52

Black

Total

48

39

41

54

50

49

49

Male

45

38

40

49

47

46

45

Female

50

40

43

58

53

52

53

Hispanic

Total

39

29

23

30

25

25

28

Male

38

30

20

27

21

20

25

Female

39

28

25

32

30

30

31

Percentage who reported voting

All races a

Total

50

42

40

41

36

43

32

Male

49

41

39

39

34

41

30

Female

50

43

41

43

38

45

35

White

Total

52

45

42

42

37

45

33

Male

51

43

40

40

35

43

31

Female

53

46

60

43

39

47

35

Black

Total

35

28

30

41

35

37

32

Male

32

27

29

36

32

32

26

Female

37

29

31

45

37

41

38

Hispanic

Total

31

22

16

22

17

18

15

Male

30

22

13

20

14

14

12

Female

32

22

19

24

20

22

19

a Estimates for whites and blacks include Hispanics of those races. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Note: Current Population Survey figures routinely overestimate voter registration and turnout when compared to the official rates.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P-20, 466,253,322,370,405,440,504.

Figure SD 1.4.A Percentage of persons ages 18 through 24 in the United States who reported that they had registered to vote and percentage who reported that they had voted in presidential election years: Selected years, 1972-1996

Note: Current Population Survey figures routinely overestimate voter registration and turnout when compared to the official rates.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P-20, 253, 293, 322, 344, 370, 405, 414, 453, 466, and PPL24-RV.

Table SD 1.4.B Percentage of persons ages 18 through 24 in the United States who reported that they had registered to vote and percentage who reported that they had voted in nonpresidential election years, by race and Hispanic origin and by gender: Selected years, 1974-1998

1974

1978

1982

1986

1990

1994

1998

Percentage who reported registering

All races a

Total

41

41

42

42

40

42

39

Male

42

40

42

41

40

41

36

Female

41

42

43

43

40

44

42

White

Total

43

41

43

42

41

44

41

Male

44

41

44

42

40

—

38

Female

42

42

43

43

41

—

43

Black

Total

34

37

57

46

40

42

38

Male

31

35

38

43

41

—

33

Female

36

40

45

49

40

—

42

Hispanic

Total

23

21

24

22

19

20

22

Male

24

22

24

20

18

—

18

Female

23

20

25

24

21

—

27

Percentage who reported voting

All races a

Total

24

24

25

22

20

20

17

Male

25

23

25

21

20

19

16

Female

23

24

25

23

21

22

18

White

Total

25

24

25

22

21

21

17

Male

29

24

26

21

20

—

17

Female

24

25

24

22

22

—

18

Black

Total

16

20

26

25

20

17

16

Male

16

19

24

24

20

—

13

Female

17

21

27

26

21

—

18

Hispanic

Total

13

12

14

12

9

10

9

Male

14

13

14

10

7

—

6

Female

13

10

14

13

16

—

12

a Estimates for whites and blacks include Hispanics of those races. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Note: Current Population Survey figures routinely overestimate voter registration and turnout when compared to the official rates.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P-20, 253, 293, 322, 344, 370, 405, 414, 453, 466, and PPL24-RV; Reported voting and registration for the United States, 1998, table 2, available online at www.census.gov/population/socdemo/voting/cps1998/tab02.txt

Figure SD 1.4.B Percentage of persons ages 18 through 24 in the United States who registered to vote and percentage who voted in nonpresidential election year 1998, by race and Hispanic origin a

a Estimates for whites and blacks include Hispanics of those races. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Note: Current Population Survey figures routinely overestimate voter registration and turnout when compared to the official rates.
Sources: Casper, & Bass, 1998.

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